we are up at sparrow's farts today and in time for sunrise
from our living room window we have a view over the valley
a blanket of cloud envelopes the nearby town of poggio mirteto
4:30am is obscenely early but not when it's 12:30pm in australia
a few calls to make to solve a few problems then it's into the day
we have decided to have a home day today - tiredness is visiting
and the temperature is once again expected to head to the mid 30s
we take an early morning wander to our favourite bar for pastries
washed down with cafe freddo while dog and people watching
it's coming up to 3 weeks since we arrived at torrita tiberina
so now feeling quite comfortable and almost part of it all
we are recognised and greeted at several shops around town
a language problem of course - their english matches our italian
but we get by on bonjourno, grazie, arrivederci and pointing
today we took our first venture into a shop selling baked goods
the signage out the front making it look like a fast food outlet
but inside a selection of fresh biscuits, cakes, pizzas and pastas
zucchini flower topped pizza and mixed biscuits are purchased
we certainly do not lack for food options in this very small town
the population of 1079 are well served and the prices - so cheap
we wonder how they survive but it's clearly all about lifestyle
provide a service, be part of a community and pay the bills
simple stuff really and the kind of experience that we wanted
the choice made several months ago to live in a small rural town
back home we set up the fan and easily slide into relaxation mode
laptops are on the watchlist and the day spent dozing and grazing
one of our favourite treats is digging into half a small watermelon
spooning then scrapping out the cold and juicy flesh in quick time
we brave the heat of the day late in the afternoon for a wine refill
one of the small shops has a bank of steel wine barrels at one end
help yourself - fill your own container - priced at 2 euro a litre
it may not be premium wine but it certainly suits our palate
and as in this evenings case to accompany our italian dinner
fresh figs wrapped in prosciutto and a gorganzola cheese sauce
followed by fettuccine pasta with roma tomatoes and fresh basil
yum-o - and probably just a bit too much food for one sitting
so on with the headphones and onto the street walking circuit
first heading south alongside the castle and on cobblestones
a few people sitting outside and waves, nods, smiles exchanged
down and around the bottom corner to come back up the other side
looking down and out at the tiber river snaking through the valley
cutting through the town's lower car-park and the road out of town
then up a hidden path for a testing climb up to to the highest housing
there's a game of soccer happening in the miniature pitch set up there
a high fence surrounds the synthetic pitch and 2 teams are lining up
a lot of spectators too so possibly some kind of local competition
as they kick off there are serious skills and attitudes on display
i park myself and enjoy being part of the friday night action
feeling very embedded in life here as i then wander home
a large bush overflowing with flowers too much to resist
return to home base and a needed early night - happy...
